Welding is a vital component of several industries such as automotive,aerospace,robotics,and construction.Without welding,these industries utilize aluminum alloys for the manufacturing of many components or systems.Ho...Welding is a vital component of several industries such as automotive,aerospace,robotics,and construction.Without welding,these industries utilize aluminum alloys for the manufacturing of many components or systems.However,fusion welding of aluminum alloys is challenging due to several factors,including the presence of non-heat-treatable alloys,porosity,solidification,and liquation of cracks.Many manufacturers adopt conventional in-air friction stir welding(FSW)to weld metallic alloys and dissimilar materials.Many researchers reported the drawbacks of this traditional in-air FSW technique in welding metallic and polymeric materials in general and aluminum alloys and aluminum matrix composites in specific.A number of FSW techniques were developed recently,such as underwater friction stir welding(UFSW),vibrational friction-stir welding(VFSW),and others,for welding of aluminum alloy joints to overcome the issues of welding using conventional FSW.Therefore,the main objective of this review is to summarize the recent trends in FSW process of aluminum alloys and aluminum metal matrix composites(Al MMCs).Also,it discusses the effect of welding parameters of the traditional and state-of-the-art developed FSW techniques on the welding quality and strength of aluminum alloys and Al MMCs.Comparison among the techniques and advantages and limitations of each are considered.The review suggests that VFSW is a viable option for welding aluminum joints due to its energy efficiency,economic cost,and versatile modifications that can be employed based on the application.This review also illustrated that significantly less attention has been paid to FSW of Al-MMCs and considerable attention is demanded to produce qualified joint.展开更多
Background:Progressive accumulation ofα-synuclein is a key step in the pathological development of Parkinson’s disease.Impaired protein degradation and increased levels ofα-synuclein may trigger a pathological aggr...Background:Progressive accumulation ofα-synuclein is a key step in the pathological development of Parkinson’s disease.Impaired protein degradation and increased levels ofα-synuclein may trigger a pathological aggregation in vitro and in vivo.The chaperone-mediated autophagy(CMA)pathway is involved in the intracellular degradation processes ofα-synuclein.Dysfunction of the CMA pathway impairsα-synuclein degradation and causes cytotoxicity.Results:In the present study,we investigated the effects on the CMA pathway andα-synuclein aggregation using bioactive ingredients(Dihydromyricetin(DHM)and Salvianolic acid B(Sal B))extracted from natural medicinal plants.In both cell-free and cellular models ofα-synuclein aggregation,after administration of DHM and Sal B,we observed significant inhibition ofα-synuclein accumulation and aggregation.Cells were co-transfected with a Cterminal modifiedα-synuclein(SynT)and synphilin-1,and then treated with DHM(10μM)and Sal B(50μM)16 hours after transfection;levels ofα-synuclein aggregation decreased significantly(68%for DHM and 75%for Sal B).Concomitantly,we detected increased levels of LAMP-1(a marker of lysosomal homeostasis)and LAMP-2A(a key marker of CMA).Immunofluorescence analyses showed increased colocalization between LAMP-1 and LAMP-2A withα-synuclein inclusions after treatment with DHM and Sal B.We also found increased levels of LAMP-1 and LAMP-2A both in vitro and in vivo,along with decreased levels ofα-synuclein.Moreover,DHM and Sal B treatments exhibited anti-inflammatory activities,preventing astroglia-and microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in BAC-α-syn-GFP transgenic mice.Conclusions:Our data indicate that DHM and Sal B are effective in modulatingα-synuclein accumulation and aggregate formation and augmenting activation of CMA,holding potential for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.展开更多
The cryptic lifestyle of most fungi necessitates molecular identification of the guild in environmental studies.Over the past decades,rapid development and affordability of molecular tools have tremendously improved i...The cryptic lifestyle of most fungi necessitates molecular identification of the guild in environmental studies.Over the past decades,rapid development and affordability of molecular tools have tremendously improved insights of the fungal diversity in all ecosystems and habitats.Yet,in spite of the progress of molecular methods,knowledge about functional properties of the fungal taxa is vague and interpretation of environmental studies in an ecologically meaningful manner remains challenging.In order to facilitate functional assignments and ecological interpretation of environmental studies we introduce a user friendly traits and character database FungalTraits operating at genus and species hypothesis levels.Combining the information from previous efforts such as FUNGuild and FunFun together with involvement of expert knowledge,we reannotated 10,210 and 151 fungal and Stramenopila genera,respectively.This resulted in a stand-alone spreadsheet dataset covering 17 lifestyle related traits of fungal and Stramenopila genera,designed for rapid functional assignments of environmental stud-ies.In order to assign the trait states to fungal species hypotheses,the scientific community of experts manually categorised and assigned available trait information to 697,413 fungal ITS sequences.On the basis of those sequences we were able to summarise trait and host information into 92,623 fungal species hypotheses at 1%dissimilarity threshold.展开更多
MXene has garnered widespread recognition in the scientific com-munity due to its remarkable properties,including excellent thermal stability,high conductivity,good hydrophilicity and dispersibility,easy processabilit...MXene has garnered widespread recognition in the scientific com-munity due to its remarkable properties,including excellent thermal stability,high conductivity,good hydrophilicity and dispersibility,easy processability,tunable surface properties,and admirable flexibility.MXenes have been categorized into different families based on the number of M and X layers in M_(n+1)X_(n),such as M_(2)X,M_(3)X_(2),M_(4)X_(3),and,recently,M_(5)X_(4).Among these families,M_(2)X and M_(3)X_(2),par-ticularly Ti_(3)C_(2),have been greatly explored while limited studies have been given to M_(5)X_(4)MXene synthesis.Meanwhile,studies on the M_(4)X_(3)MXene family have developed recently,hence,demanding a compilation of evaluated studies.Herein,this review provides a systematic overview of the latest advancements in M_(4)X_(3)MXenes,focusing on their properties and applications in energy storage devices.The objective of this review is to provide guidance to researchers on fostering M_(4)X_(3)MXene-based nanomaterials,not only for energy storage devices but also for broader applications.展开更多
Correction to:Fungal Diversity(2020)105:116 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-020-00466-2 There were errors in the name of author LászlóG.Nagy and in affiliation no.31 in the original publication.The original a...Correction to:Fungal Diversity(2020)105:116 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-020-00466-2 There were errors in the name of author LászlóG.Nagy and in affiliation no.31 in the original publication.The original article has been corrected.展开更多
Plants have to cope with several abiotic stresses,including salinity and heavymetals(HMs).Under these stresses,several extracts have been used as effective natural biostimulants,however,the use of Spirulina platensis(...Plants have to cope with several abiotic stresses,including salinity and heavymetals(HMs).Under these stresses,several extracts have been used as effective natural biostimulants,however,the use of Spirulina platensis(SP)extract(SPE)remains elusive.The effects of SPE were evaluated as soil addition(SA)and/or foliar spraying(FS)on antioxidant defenses and HMs content of common bean grown in saline soil contaminated with HMs.Individual(40 or 80 mg SPE/hill added as SA or 20 or 40 mg SPE/plant added as FS)or integrative(SA+FS)applications of SPE showed significant improvements in the following order:SA-80+FS-40>SA-80+FS-20>SA-40+FS-40>SA-40+FS-20>SA-80>SA-40>FS-40>FS-20>control.Therefore,the integrative SA+FS with 40 mg SP/plant was the most effective treatment in increasing plant growth and production,overcoming stress effects and minimizing contamination of the edible part.It significantly increased plant growth(74%–185%)and yield(107%–227%)by enhancing net photosynthetic rate(78.5%),stomatal conductance(104%),transpiration rate(124%),and contents of carotenoids(60.0%),chlorophylls(49%–51%),and NPK(271%–366%).These results were concurrent with the marked reductions in malondialdehyde(61.6%),hydrogen peroxide(42.2%),nickel(91%–94%),lead(80%–9%),and cadmium(74%–91%)contents due to the improved contents of glutathione(87.1%),ascorbate(37.0%),andα-tocopherol(77.2%),and the activities of catalase(18.1%),ascorbate peroxidase(18.3%),superoxide dismutase(192%),and glutathione reductase(52.2%)as reinforcing mechanisms.Therefore,this most effective treatment is recommended to mitigate the stress effects of salinity and HMs on common bean production while minimizing HMs in the edible part.展开更多
Grinding technology is an essential manufacturing operation,in particular,when a component with a superfinishing and an ultra-resolution is yearned.Meeting the required strict quality checklist with maintaining a high...Grinding technology is an essential manufacturing operation,in particular,when a component with a superfinishing and an ultra-resolution is yearned.Meeting the required strict quality checklist with maintaining a high level of productivity and sustainability is a substantive issue.The recent paper outlines the lubrication and cooling technologies and mediums that are used for grinding.Furthermore,it provides a basis for a critical assessment of the different lubrication/cooling techniques in terms of machining outputs,environmental impact,hygiene effect,etc.Meanwhile,the paper put light on the sustainability of different cooling/lubrication strategies.The sustainability of machining aims to get the product with the best accuracy and surface quality,minimum energy consumption,low environmental impact,reasonable economy,and minimum effect on worker’s health.The paper revealed that despite some cooling/lubrication mediums like mineral oils and semisynthetic,afford sufficient lubrication or cooling,they have a significant negative impact on the environment and public health.On the other hand,emulsions can overcome environmental problems but the economy and the energy consumption during grinding are still a matter of concern.Biodegradable and vegetable oils are considered eco-friendly oils,but they suffer from a lack of thermal stability which affects their ability of efficiently cooling.Using the cooling medium with the lowest amount can achieve the goal of the economy but it may be reflected negatively on the machinability.Furthermore,cryogenic lubrication doesn’t provide sufficient lubrication to reduce friction and hence energy consumption.The research described in the paper is such a comprehensive compilation of knowledge regarding the machinability and machining performance under different cooling and lubrication systems that it will aid the next generation of scientists in identifying current advancements as well as potential future directions of research on ecological aspects of machining for sustainabilit展开更多
Because of socioeconomic considerations,wide-scale production of biofuel necessitates the utilization of nonedible biomass feedstock that does not compete for land and fresh water resources.In this regard,Salicornia b...Because of socioeconomic considerations,wide-scale production of biofuel necessitates the utilization of nonedible biomass feedstock that does not compete for land and fresh water resources.In this regard,Salicornia bigelovii(SB)is the most investigated halophyte species.The high oil content in SB seeds has sparked mounting research that aims to utilize SB as an industrial crop in the production of bio-oil,particularly in coastal areas where these plants thrive.However,the oil extracted from the pyrolysis of raw SB seeds is largely dominated by oxygenated fatty acids,most notably 9,12-octadecadienoic acid and 9,17-octadecadienal,typical to that of other crops.The pyrolysate bio-oil of the raw SB seeds exhibited a relative yield of oxygenated compounds that decreased from 57.05%at 200℃to 9.81%at 500℃,and the relative yield of nitrogenated compounds increased from 4.86%at 200℃to 21.97%at 500℃.To improve the quality of the produced bio-oil,herein we investigated the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation(HDO)of the fragments that were produced from the thermal degradation of SB seeds.A 5%Ni–CeO_(2)catalyst was prepared and characterized by a wide array of methods X-ray diffraction,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,temperature programmed reduction,scanning electron microscope,BrunauerEmmett-Teller analysis,and thermogravimetric analyzer.The catalytic run was executed between 200 and 500℃in a flow reactor.The deployed catalytic methodology displayed a profound HDO capacity.At 400℃,for instance,the gas chromatography mass spectroscopy(GC–MS)detected loads of paraffin and aromatic compounds exists at appreciable values of 48.0%and 28.5%,respectively.With a total relative yield of 43.2%(at 400℃),C8–C15 species(i.e.,jet fuel fractions)were the most abundant species in the upgraded SB bio-oil.The release of H_(2),CO,CO_(2),and CH_(4)was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using gas chromatography thermal conductivity detector and Fourier infrared spectroscopic analysis.When the Ni–CeO_(2)catalyst was utili展开更多
NOTCH plays a role in regulating stem cell function and fate decision.It is involved in tooth development and injury repair.Information regarding NOTCH expression in human dental root apical papilla(AP)and its residin...NOTCH plays a role in regulating stem cell function and fate decision.It is involved in tooth development and injury repair.Information regarding NOTCH expression in human dental root apical papilla(AP)and its residing stem cells(SCAP)is limited.Here we investigated the expression of NOTCH3,its ligand JAG1,and mesenchymal stem cell markers CD146 and STRO-1 in the AP or in the primary cultures of SCAP isolated from AP.Our in situ immunostaining showed that in the AP NOTCH3 and CD146 were co-expressed and associated with blood vessels having NOTCH3 located more peripherally.In cultured SCAP,NOTCH3 and JAG1 were co-expressed.Flow cytometry analysis showed that 7%,16%and 98%of the isolated SCAP were positive for NOTCH3,STRO-1 and CD146,respectively with a rare 1.5%subpopulation of SCAP co-expressing all three markers.The expression level of NOTCH3 reduced when SCAP underwent osteogenic differentiation.Our findings are the first step towards defining the regulatory role of NOTCH3 in SCAP fate decision.展开更多
BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),a pandemic contributing to more than 105 million cases and more than 2.3 million deaths worldwide,was described to be frequently accompanied by extrapulmonary manifest...BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),a pandemic contributing to more than 105 million cases and more than 2.3 million deaths worldwide,was described to be frequently accompanied by extrapulmonary manifestations,including liver dysfunction.Liver dysfunction and elevated liver enzymes were observed in about 53%of COVID-19 patients.AIM To gain insight into transcriptional abnormalities in liver tissue of severe COVID-19 patients that may result in liver dysfunction.METHODS The transcriptome of liver autopsy samples from severe COVID-19 patients against those of non-COVID donors was analyzed.Differentially expressed genes were identified from normalized RNA-seq data and analyzed for the enrichment of functional clusters and pathways.The differentially expressed genes were then compared against the genetic signatures of liver diseases including cirrhosis,fibrosis,non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),and hepatitis A/B/C.Gene expression of some differentially expressed genes was assessed in the blood samples of severe COVID-19 patients with liver dysfunction using qRT-PCR.RESULTS Analysis of the differential transcriptome of the liver tissue of severe COVID-19 patients revealed a significant upregulation of transcripts implicated in tissue remodeling including G-coupled protein receptors family genes,DNAJB1,IGF2,EGFR,and HDGF.Concordantly,the differential transcriptome of severe COVID-19 liver tissues substantially overlapped with the disease signature of liver diseases characterized with pathological tissue remodeling(liver cirrhosis,Fibrosis,NAFLD,and hepatitis A/B/C).Moreover,we observed a significant suppression of transcripts implicated in metabolic pathways as well as mitochondrial function,including cytochrome P450 family members,ACAD11,CIDEB,GNMT,and GPAM.Consequently,drug and xenobiotics metabolism pathways are significantly suppressed suggesting a decrease in liver detoxification capacity.In correspondence with the RNA-seq data analysis,we observed a significant upregulation of DNAJB1 and HSP9展开更多
Nano-sized reinforcements improved the mechanical characteristics efficiently by promoting more implicit particle hardening mechanisms compared to micron-sized reinforcements.Nano-sized particles lessen the critical p...Nano-sized reinforcements improved the mechanical characteristics efficiently by promoting more implicit particle hardening mechanisms compared to micron-sized reinforcements.Nano-sized particles lessen the critical particle solidification velocity for swamp and thus offers better dispersal.In the present investigation,the friction stir processing(FSP)is utilized to produce AZ31/Al_(2)O_(3)nanocomposites at various tool rotation speeds(i.e.,900,1200,and 1500 rpm)with an optimized 1.5%volume alumina(Al_(2)O_(3))reinforcement ratio.The mechanical and corrosion behavior of AZ31/Al_(2)O_(3)-developed nanocomposites was investigated and compared with that of the AZ31 base alloy.The AZ31 alloy experienced a comprehensive dynamic recrystallization during FSP,causing substantial grain refinement.Grain-size strengthening is the primary factor contributed to the enhancement in the strength of the fabricated nanocomposite.Tensile strength and yield strength values were lower than those for the base metal matrix,although an upward trend in both values has been observed with an increase in tool rotation speed.An 19.72%increase in hardness along with superior corrosion resistance was achieved compared to the base alloy at a tool rotational speed of 1500 rpm.The corrosion currents(Jcorr)of all samples dropped with increase in the rotational speed,in contrast to the corrosion potentials(Ecorr),which increased.The values of Jcorr of AZ31/Al_(2)O_(3)were 42.3%,56.8%,and 65.5%lower than those of AZ31 alloy at the chosen rotating speeds of 900,1200,and 1500 rpm,respectively.The corrosion behavior of friction stir processed nanocomposites have been addressed in this manuscript which has not been given sufficient attention in the existing literature.Further,this work offers an effective choice for the quality assurance of the FSP process of AZ31/Al_(2)O_(3)nanocomposites.The obtained results are relevant to the development of lightweight automobile and aerospace structures and components.展开更多
Phytochemicals have been of great interest as a source of natural antioxidants used for health promotion, food preservation, food flavoring and cosmetics. In this research, alcoholic extract from Caralluma arabica and...Phytochemicals have been of great interest as a source of natural antioxidants used for health promotion, food preservation, food flavoring and cosmetics. In this research, alcoholic extract from Caralluma arabica and different solvent fractions were evaluated for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties as well as their polyphenolic compositions. The total antioxidant property was estimated by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2, 2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS+) and β-carotene bleaching tests. Among the ethanol extract and three fractions, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest phenolic content (33.1 mg gallic acid/g) and the best antioxidant activity. The ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant capacities of the ethyl acetate fraction were 143.64, 381.3, 112.6 μmol/g in FRAP, ABTS and DPPH assays, respectively. This study verified that the ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction from Caralluma arabica have strong antioxidant activity that was correlated with their high level of phenolic content. Furthermore, the same extract showed appreciable anti-inflammatory via Lipoxygenase inhibitory activity (LOX), the IC50 values ranged from 11.2 - 30.77 μg/mL. Moreover, Ethyl acetate fraction showed the strongest cytotoxic effect (IC50 = 87.55 μg/mL) against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. These findings suggest that Caralluma arabica may be considered as an interesting source of antioxidants for nutraceutical industries.展开更多
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of balanced hypocaloric diet therapy on the anthropometric and basic metabolic indicators in obese women with infertility. Methods: The follow up interventional clinical study included ...Purpose: To evaluate the effect of balanced hypocaloric diet therapy on the anthropometric and basic metabolic indicators in obese women with infertility. Methods: The follow up interventional clinical study included 23 infertile women in reproductive age with grade I gluteofemoral obesity. All patients have prescribed a balanced hypocaloric diet (1200 kcal/day), underwent exercise and behavioral therapy. Before and after 12-month treatment, an anthropometric study was conducted, determining the level of metabolic and hormonal indicators. Results: The total final number of study participants was 20 patients. A decrease in body weight was achieved in 87% of patients from 4 to 24 kg, on the average, by 10.58 ± 5.70 kg, there was also a decrease in BMI from 32.53 ± 1.40 to 28.55 ± 2.50 kg/m2 (p 0.001). The decrease in body weight was accompanied by a statistically significant decrease in leptin levels (p 0.001), E1 (p = 0.049), E2 (p = 0.032), fasting glucose (p 0.001), HOMA-IR (p = 0.002), cholesterol (p < 0.001), TG (p = 0.004), LDL-C (p = 0.001), atherogenic index of plasma (p <0.001) and an increase in progesterone levels (p = 0.030). Ovulatory menstrual cycles were resumed in all women (p = 0.007) and pregnancy occurred within a year in 1 patient. Conclusion: The implementation of a hypocaloric diet for 12 months in infertile women with first-degree obesity helps to normalize metabolic and hormonal indicators, reduces body weight and restores ovulatory menstrual cycle in all patients.展开更多
Considering the ongoing climate transformations, the appropriate and reliable phenotyping information of plant leaves is quite significant for early detection of disease, yield improvement. In real-life digital agricu...Considering the ongoing climate transformations, the appropriate and reliable phenotyping information of plant leaves is quite significant for early detection of disease, yield improvement. In real-life digital agricultural environment, the real-time prediction and identification of living plants leaves has immensely grown in recent years. Hence, cost-effective and automated and timely detection of plans species is vital for sustainable agriculture. This paper presents a novel, non-invasive method aiming to establish a feasible, and viable technique for the precise identification and observation of altering behaviour of plants species at cellular level for four consecutive days by integrating machine learning (ML) and THz with a swissto12 materials characterization kit (MCK) in the frequency range of 0.75 to 1.1 THz. For this purpose, measurements observations data of seven various living plants leaves were determined and incorporate three different ML algorithms such as random forest (RF), support vector machine, (SVM), and K-nearest neighbour (KNN). The results demonstrated that RF exhibited higher accuracy of 98.87% followed by KNN and SVM with an accuracy of 94.64% and 89.67%, respectively, for precise detection of different leaves by observing their morphological features. In addition, RF outperformed other classifiers for determination of water-stressed leaves and having an accuracy of 99.42%. It is envisioned that proposed study can be proven beneficial and vital in digital agriculture technology for the timely detection of plants species to significantly help in mitigate yield and economic losses and improve crops quality.展开更多
Infectious agents,both standard and emerging or engineered,might initiate outbreaks with global impact and/or existential-level threat potential.Such agents might infect human,livestock,exploitable plant cultures or t...Infectious agents,both standard and emerging or engineered,might initiate outbreaks with global impact and/or existential-level threat potential.Such agents might infect human,livestock,exploitable plant cultures or the environment at large.Instead of responding by sampling teams which may also carry out prolonged surveillance,a more effective concept is to pre-process the samples,possibly to nucleic acid extract so as to transport them without biological risks by standard channels,or to process them up to a point and return the results,leaving the samples which only need specialized tests and dedicated equipment.In this context a portable device,allowing multiple routine and crisis-management applications due to its inherent flexibility,is scrutinized against alternatives and possible needs so as to develop a novel standard of surveillance and intervention,meant to facilitate containment by providing faster much more reliable laboratory results at a fraction of older generation mobile nucleic acids analyzers.Additional steps,such as agarose in pills and buffers pre-packaged in expendable syringes with pistons locked by improvised safety features may improve the Complexity Level of the whole system so as to make it appealing to intervention/crisis management personnel,while the instrument proper may double as backup for respective benchtop devices.展开更多
We present a neuro-heuristic computing platform for finding the solution for initial value problems （IVPs） of non- linear pantograph systems based on functional differential equations （P-FDEs） of different orders....We present a neuro-heuristic computing platform for finding the solution for initial value problems （IVPs） of non- linear pantograph systems based on functional differential equations （P-FDEs） of different orders. In this scheme, the strengths of feed-forward artificial neural networks （ANNs）, the evolutionary computing technique mainly based on genetic algorithms （GAs）, and the interior-point technique （IPT） are exploited. Two types of mathematical models of the systems are constructed with the help of ANNs by defining an unsupervised error with and without exactly satisfying the initial conditions. The design parameters of ANN models are optimized with a hybrid approach GA-IPT, where GA is used as a tool for effective global search, and IPT is incorporated for rapid local convergence. The proposed scheme is tested on three different types oflVPs of P-FDE with orders 1-3 The correctness of the scheme is established by comparison with the existing exact solutions. The accuracy and convergence ofthc proposed scheme are further validated through a large number of numerical experiments by taking different numbers of neurons in ANN models.展开更多
Soy yogurt has gained significant popularity due to its nutritional health benefits. The objectives of this study were to develop flavored yogurt from soybean milk with reduced soy aftertaste by the addition of 30% （...Soy yogurt has gained significant popularity due to its nutritional health benefits. The objectives of this study were to develop flavored yogurt from soybean milk with reduced soy aftertaste by the addition of 30% （wt/wt） strawberry or orange jam in conjunction with a lactic acid fermentation. Soy milk-based yogurt products were assessed for microbial quality and for acceptability by a panel of Jordanian and Malaysian consumers. Sixty-one individuals, of whom 75.4% （n = 46） were Jordanian and 24.6% （n = 15） were Malaysian, evaluated the plain and flavored soy milk-based yogurt. The overall acceptability of orange and strawberry soy yogurt was rated significantly higher than plain soy yogurt. In general, the orange and strawberry soy yogurt received higher sensory ratings from Malaysian than Jordanian consumers. In addition, formulations with orange jam received higher scores than those flavored with strawberry. Shelf life tests showed that soy yogurt was acceptable for at least 8 d without perceptible spoilage. Therefore, the approach used yielded flavored products with better acceptability and improved sensory attributes, including decreased intensity of off flavor, with suitable shelf life at 4 ℃.展开更多
The peroxisome proliferator activator receptor-<em>γ</em> (PPAR-<em>γ</em>) remained the most effective target for management of diabetes mellitus. The present work endeavors rational designi...The peroxisome proliferator activator receptor-<em>γ</em> (PPAR-<em>γ</em>) remained the most effective target for management of diabetes mellitus. The present work endeavors rational designing new PPAR-<em>γ</em> agonist bearing cyclotriphosphazene and thiazolidine-2,4-dione scaffolds. Thiazolidinedione (TZD) derivatives are the novel class of oral antidiabetic drugs which are selective agonist for the nuclear PPAR<em>γ</em> that enhances the transcription of several insulin responsive genes but TZDs are known to cause weight gain, hepatotoxicity and fluid retention. So, cyclotriphosphazene containing thiazolidine-2,4-dione was designed, synthesized as PPAR<em>γ</em> agonist. The <em>in-vitro</em> antidiabetic activity showed that compound <strong>8</strong> has similar activity and exhibited higher glucose uptake in comparison to pioglitazone as reference drugs. This research opened new avenues for smart designing of molecules with high efficiency towards the management of hyperglycemia.展开更多
A new approach is demonstrated in which soft experimentation can be performed for MMP measurements, thus replacing the common practice of slim tube displacement laboratory experiments. Recovery potential from oil rese...A new approach is demonstrated in which soft experimentation can be performed for MMP measurements, thus replacing the common practice of slim tube displacement laboratory experiments. Recovery potential from oil reservoirs by miscible flue gas injection was studied by slim tube and field-scale numerical simulation using two flue gases and seven crude oils sampled at different depths in three candidate reservoirs. The soft experimentations were conducted using Eclipse300<sup>TM</sup>, a three-phase compositional simulator. This study investigates minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), a significant miscible gas injection project screening tool. Successful design of the project is contingent to the accurate determination of the MMP. This study evaluates effects of important factors such as injection pressure, oil component composition, and injection gas composition on the MMP and recovery efficiency for slim tube and field-scale displacements. Two applicable MMP correlations were used for comparison and validation purposes.展开更多
This study presents a modified low-cost approach,which integrates the spectral angle mapper and image difference algorithms in order to enhance classification maps for the purpose of monitoring and analysing land use/...This study presents a modified low-cost approach,which integrates the spectral angle mapper and image difference algorithms in order to enhance classification maps for the purpose of monitoring and analysing land use/land cover change between 2000 and 2015 for the Emirate of Dubai.The approach was modified by collecting 320 training samples from QuickBird images with a spatial resolution of 0.6 m,as well as carrying out field observations,followed by the application of a 3×3 Soble filter,sieving classes,majority/minority analysis,and clump classes of the obtained classification maps.The accuracy assessment showed that the targeted 2000,2005,2010 and 2015 classification maps have 88.1252%,89.0699%,90.1225%and 96.0965%accuracy,respectively.The results showed that the built-up area increased by 233.721 km^(2)(5.81%)between 2000 and 2005 and continues to increase even up and till the present time.The assessment of changes in the periods 2000–2005 and 2010–2015 confirmed that net vegetation area losses were more pronounced from 2000 to 2005 than from 2010 to 2015,dropping from 47,618 to 40,820 km^(2),respectively.This study is aimed to assist urban planners and decision-makers,as well as research institutes.展开更多
基金United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Al-Ain, UAE, and Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, for providing research support through a collaborative research project (UAEU: 31N270)。
文摘Welding is a vital component of several industries such as automotive,aerospace,robotics,and construction.Without welding,these industries utilize aluminum alloys for the manufacturing of many components or systems.However,fusion welding of aluminum alloys is challenging due to several factors,including the presence of non-heat-treatable alloys,porosity,solidification,and liquation of cracks.Many manufacturers adopt conventional in-air friction stir welding(FSW)to weld metallic alloys and dissimilar materials.Many researchers reported the drawbacks of this traditional in-air FSW technique in welding metallic and polymeric materials in general and aluminum alloys and aluminum matrix composites in specific.A number of FSW techniques were developed recently,such as underwater friction stir welding(UFSW),vibrational friction-stir welding(VFSW),and others,for welding of aluminum alloy joints to overcome the issues of welding using conventional FSW.Therefore,the main objective of this review is to summarize the recent trends in FSW process of aluminum alloys and aluminum metal matrix composites(Al MMCs).Also,it discusses the effect of welding parameters of the traditional and state-of-the-art developed FSW techniques on the welding quality and strength of aluminum alloys and Al MMCs.Comparison among the techniques and advantages and limitations of each are considered.The review suggests that VFSW is a viable option for welding aluminum joints due to its energy efficiency,economic cost,and versatile modifications that can be employed based on the application.This review also illustrated that significantly less attention has been paid to FSW of Al-MMCs and considerable attention is demanded to produce qualified joint.
基金We would like to acknowledge financial supports by the National Natural Science Foundation(81430025,81701265,31800898,U801681)Acknowledgements are also to the supports of the Swedish Research Council(K2015-61X-22297-03-4)+2 种基金EU-JPND(aSynProtec),EU-JPND(REfrAME),EU H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016(Syndegen),BAGADILICO-Excellence in Parkinson and Huntington Research,the Strong Research Environment MultiPark(Multidisciplinary research on Parkinson’s disease),the Swedish Parkinson Foundation(Parkinsonfonden),Torsten Söderbergs Foundation,Olle Engkvist Byggmästere FoundationW.L.is supported by a scholarship from the China Scholarship CouncilTFO is supported by the DFG Center for Nanoscaly Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain(CNMPB).
文摘Background:Progressive accumulation ofα-synuclein is a key step in the pathological development of Parkinson’s disease.Impaired protein degradation and increased levels ofα-synuclein may trigger a pathological aggregation in vitro and in vivo.The chaperone-mediated autophagy(CMA)pathway is involved in the intracellular degradation processes ofα-synuclein.Dysfunction of the CMA pathway impairsα-synuclein degradation and causes cytotoxicity.Results:In the present study,we investigated the effects on the CMA pathway andα-synuclein aggregation using bioactive ingredients(Dihydromyricetin(DHM)and Salvianolic acid B(Sal B))extracted from natural medicinal plants.In both cell-free and cellular models ofα-synuclein aggregation,after administration of DHM and Sal B,we observed significant inhibition ofα-synuclein accumulation and aggregation.Cells were co-transfected with a Cterminal modifiedα-synuclein(SynT)and synphilin-1,and then treated with DHM(10μM)and Sal B(50μM)16 hours after transfection;levels ofα-synuclein aggregation decreased significantly(68%for DHM and 75%for Sal B).Concomitantly,we detected increased levels of LAMP-1(a marker of lysosomal homeostasis)and LAMP-2A(a key marker of CMA).Immunofluorescence analyses showed increased colocalization between LAMP-1 and LAMP-2A withα-synuclein inclusions after treatment with DHM and Sal B.We also found increased levels of LAMP-1 and LAMP-2A both in vitro and in vivo,along with decreased levels ofα-synuclein.Moreover,DHM and Sal B treatments exhibited anti-inflammatory activities,preventing astroglia-and microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in BAC-α-syn-GFP transgenic mice.Conclusions:Our data indicate that DHM and Sal B are effective in modulatingα-synuclein accumulation and aggregate formation and augmenting activation of CMA,holding potential for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
基金Estonian Science Foundation grants PSG136,PRG632,PUT1170the University of Tartu(PLTOM20903)the European Regional Development Fund(Centre of Excellence EcolChange).
文摘The cryptic lifestyle of most fungi necessitates molecular identification of the guild in environmental studies.Over the past decades,rapid development and affordability of molecular tools have tremendously improved insights of the fungal diversity in all ecosystems and habitats.Yet,in spite of the progress of molecular methods,knowledge about functional properties of the fungal taxa is vague and interpretation of environmental studies in an ecologically meaningful manner remains challenging.In order to facilitate functional assignments and ecological interpretation of environmental studies we introduce a user friendly traits and character database FungalTraits operating at genus and species hypothesis levels.Combining the information from previous efforts such as FUNGuild and FunFun together with involvement of expert knowledge,we reannotated 10,210 and 151 fungal and Stramenopila genera,respectively.This resulted in a stand-alone spreadsheet dataset covering 17 lifestyle related traits of fungal and Stramenopila genera,designed for rapid functional assignments of environmental stud-ies.In order to assign the trait states to fungal species hypotheses,the scientific community of experts manually categorised and assigned available trait information to 697,413 fungal ITS sequences.On the basis of those sequences we were able to summarise trait and host information into 92,623 fungal species hypotheses at 1%dissimilarity threshold.
基金supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council(Project Number CityU 11218420)the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University Saudi Arabia for funding through research groups program under Grant Number R.G.P.2/593/44.
文摘MXene has garnered widespread recognition in the scientific com-munity due to its remarkable properties,including excellent thermal stability,high conductivity,good hydrophilicity and dispersibility,easy processability,tunable surface properties,and admirable flexibility.MXenes have been categorized into different families based on the number of M and X layers in M_(n+1)X_(n),such as M_(2)X,M_(3)X_(2),M_(4)X_(3),and,recently,M_(5)X_(4).Among these families,M_(2)X and M_(3)X_(2),par-ticularly Ti_(3)C_(2),have been greatly explored while limited studies have been given to M_(5)X_(4)MXene synthesis.Meanwhile,studies on the M_(4)X_(3)MXene family have developed recently,hence,demanding a compilation of evaluated studies.Herein,this review provides a systematic overview of the latest advancements in M_(4)X_(3)MXenes,focusing on their properties and applications in energy storage devices.The objective of this review is to provide guidance to researchers on fostering M_(4)X_(3)MXene-based nanomaterials,not only for energy storage devices but also for broader applications.
文摘Correction to:Fungal Diversity(2020)105:116 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-020-00466-2 There were errors in the name of author LászlóG.Nagy and in affiliation no.31 in the original publication.The original article has been corrected.
基金This work was funded by Abu Dhabi Award for Research Excellence-Department of Education and Knowledge(No.21S105)to Khaled A.El-Tarabily.
文摘Plants have to cope with several abiotic stresses,including salinity and heavymetals(HMs).Under these stresses,several extracts have been used as effective natural biostimulants,however,the use of Spirulina platensis(SP)extract(SPE)remains elusive.The effects of SPE were evaluated as soil addition(SA)and/or foliar spraying(FS)on antioxidant defenses and HMs content of common bean grown in saline soil contaminated with HMs.Individual(40 or 80 mg SPE/hill added as SA or 20 or 40 mg SPE/plant added as FS)or integrative(SA+FS)applications of SPE showed significant improvements in the following order:SA-80+FS-40>SA-80+FS-20>SA-40+FS-40>SA-40+FS-20>SA-80>SA-40>FS-40>FS-20>control.Therefore,the integrative SA+FS with 40 mg SP/plant was the most effective treatment in increasing plant growth and production,overcoming stress effects and minimizing contamination of the edible part.It significantly increased plant growth(74%–185%)and yield(107%–227%)by enhancing net photosynthetic rate(78.5%),stomatal conductance(104%),transpiration rate(124%),and contents of carotenoids(60.0%),chlorophylls(49%–51%),and NPK(271%–366%).These results were concurrent with the marked reductions in malondialdehyde(61.6%),hydrogen peroxide(42.2%),nickel(91%–94%),lead(80%–9%),and cadmium(74%–91%)contents due to the improved contents of glutathione(87.1%),ascorbate(37.0%),andα-tocopherol(77.2%),and the activities of catalase(18.1%),ascorbate peroxidase(18.3%),superoxide dismutase(192%),and glutathione reductase(52.2%)as reinforcing mechanisms.Therefore,this most effective treatment is recommended to mitigate the stress effects of salinity and HMs on common bean production while minimizing HMs in the edible part.
基金funded by the Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52005174,52275421,51875192)Hunan Provincial Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars(No.2022JJ10010)+2 种基金Key Research and Development Program of Hunan Province(No.2022WK2003),the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province(Nos.2021JJ40064,2020JJ4193)the Natural Science Foundation of Changsha(No.kq2014048)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDA25020317).The authors acknowledge the financial support.
文摘Grinding technology is an essential manufacturing operation,in particular,when a component with a superfinishing and an ultra-resolution is yearned.Meeting the required strict quality checklist with maintaining a high level of productivity and sustainability is a substantive issue.The recent paper outlines the lubrication and cooling technologies and mediums that are used for grinding.Furthermore,it provides a basis for a critical assessment of the different lubrication/cooling techniques in terms of machining outputs,environmental impact,hygiene effect,etc.Meanwhile,the paper put light on the sustainability of different cooling/lubrication strategies.The sustainability of machining aims to get the product with the best accuracy and surface quality,minimum energy consumption,low environmental impact,reasonable economy,and minimum effect on worker’s health.The paper revealed that despite some cooling/lubrication mediums like mineral oils and semisynthetic,afford sufficient lubrication or cooling,they have a significant negative impact on the environment and public health.On the other hand,emulsions can overcome environmental problems but the economy and the energy consumption during grinding are still a matter of concern.Biodegradable and vegetable oils are considered eco-friendly oils,but they suffer from a lack of thermal stability which affects their ability of efficiently cooling.Using the cooling medium with the lowest amount can achieve the goal of the economy but it may be reflected negatively on the machinability.Furthermore,cryogenic lubrication doesn’t provide sufficient lubrication to reduce friction and hence energy consumption.The research described in the paper is such a comprehensive compilation of knowledge regarding the machinability and machining performance under different cooling and lubrication systems that it will aid the next generation of scientists in identifying current advancements as well as potential future directions of research on ecological aspects of machining for sustainabilit
基金National Water and Energy Center at the United Arab Emirates University,UAEU(No.12R124).
文摘Because of socioeconomic considerations,wide-scale production of biofuel necessitates the utilization of nonedible biomass feedstock that does not compete for land and fresh water resources.In this regard,Salicornia bigelovii(SB)is the most investigated halophyte species.The high oil content in SB seeds has sparked mounting research that aims to utilize SB as an industrial crop in the production of bio-oil,particularly in coastal areas where these plants thrive.However,the oil extracted from the pyrolysis of raw SB seeds is largely dominated by oxygenated fatty acids,most notably 9,12-octadecadienoic acid and 9,17-octadecadienal,typical to that of other crops.The pyrolysate bio-oil of the raw SB seeds exhibited a relative yield of oxygenated compounds that decreased from 57.05%at 200℃to 9.81%at 500℃,and the relative yield of nitrogenated compounds increased from 4.86%at 200℃to 21.97%at 500℃.To improve the quality of the produced bio-oil,herein we investigated the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation(HDO)of the fragments that were produced from the thermal degradation of SB seeds.A 5%Ni–CeO_(2)catalyst was prepared and characterized by a wide array of methods X-ray diffraction,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,temperature programmed reduction,scanning electron microscope,BrunauerEmmett-Teller analysis,and thermogravimetric analyzer.The catalytic run was executed between 200 and 500℃in a flow reactor.The deployed catalytic methodology displayed a profound HDO capacity.At 400℃,for instance,the gas chromatography mass spectroscopy(GC–MS)detected loads of paraffin and aromatic compounds exists at appreciable values of 48.0%and 28.5%,respectively.With a total relative yield of 43.2%(at 400℃),C8–C15 species(i.e.,jet fuel fractions)were the most abundant species in the upgraded SB bio-oil.The release of H_(2),CO,CO_(2),and CH_(4)was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using gas chromatography thermal conductivity detector and Fourier infrared spectroscopic analysis.When the Ni–CeO_(2)catalyst was utili
基金This work was supported in part by a grant from the Emirates Foundation e United Arab Emirates UAE University/NRF Grant and a grant from the National Institutes of Health RO1 DE019156(G.T.-J.H.).The authors deny any conflicts of interest.
文摘NOTCH plays a role in regulating stem cell function and fate decision.It is involved in tooth development and injury repair.Information regarding NOTCH expression in human dental root apical papilla(AP)and its residing stem cells(SCAP)is limited.Here we investigated the expression of NOTCH3,its ligand JAG1,and mesenchymal stem cell markers CD146 and STRO-1 in the AP or in the primary cultures of SCAP isolated from AP.Our in situ immunostaining showed that in the AP NOTCH3 and CD146 were co-expressed and associated with blood vessels having NOTCH3 located more peripherally.In cultured SCAP,NOTCH3 and JAG1 were co-expressed.Flow cytometry analysis showed that 7%,16%and 98%of the isolated SCAP were positive for NOTCH3,STRO-1 and CD146,respectively with a rare 1.5%subpopulation of SCAP co-expressing all three markers.The expression level of NOTCH3 reduced when SCAP underwent osteogenic differentiation.Our findings are the first step towards defining the regulatory role of NOTCH3 in SCAP fate decision.
基金The University of Sharjah,No.CoV19-0308,No.CoV19-0307 and No:1901090254Sharjah Research Academy,No:MED001Al-Jalila Foundation Seed Grant,No.AJF202019.
文摘BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),a pandemic contributing to more than 105 million cases and more than 2.3 million deaths worldwide,was described to be frequently accompanied by extrapulmonary manifestations,including liver dysfunction.Liver dysfunction and elevated liver enzymes were observed in about 53%of COVID-19 patients.AIM To gain insight into transcriptional abnormalities in liver tissue of severe COVID-19 patients that may result in liver dysfunction.METHODS The transcriptome of liver autopsy samples from severe COVID-19 patients against those of non-COVID donors was analyzed.Differentially expressed genes were identified from normalized RNA-seq data and analyzed for the enrichment of functional clusters and pathways.The differentially expressed genes were then compared against the genetic signatures of liver diseases including cirrhosis,fibrosis,non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),and hepatitis A/B/C.Gene expression of some differentially expressed genes was assessed in the blood samples of severe COVID-19 patients with liver dysfunction using qRT-PCR.RESULTS Analysis of the differential transcriptome of the liver tissue of severe COVID-19 patients revealed a significant upregulation of transcripts implicated in tissue remodeling including G-coupled protein receptors family genes,DNAJB1,IGF2,EGFR,and HDGF.Concordantly,the differential transcriptome of severe COVID-19 liver tissues substantially overlapped with the disease signature of liver diseases characterized with pathological tissue remodeling(liver cirrhosis,Fibrosis,NAFLD,and hepatitis A/B/C).Moreover,we observed a significant suppression of transcripts implicated in metabolic pathways as well as mitochondrial function,including cytochrome P450 family members,ACAD11,CIDEB,GNMT,and GPAM.Consequently,drug and xenobiotics metabolism pathways are significantly suppressed suggesting a decrease in liver detoxification capacity.In correspondence with the RNA-seq data analysis,we observed a significant upregulation of DNAJB1 and HSP9
文摘Nano-sized reinforcements improved the mechanical characteristics efficiently by promoting more implicit particle hardening mechanisms compared to micron-sized reinforcements.Nano-sized particles lessen the critical particle solidification velocity for swamp and thus offers better dispersal.In the present investigation,the friction stir processing(FSP)is utilized to produce AZ31/Al_(2)O_(3)nanocomposites at various tool rotation speeds(i.e.,900,1200,and 1500 rpm)with an optimized 1.5%volume alumina(Al_(2)O_(3))reinforcement ratio.The mechanical and corrosion behavior of AZ31/Al_(2)O_(3)-developed nanocomposites was investigated and compared with that of the AZ31 base alloy.The AZ31 alloy experienced a comprehensive dynamic recrystallization during FSP,causing substantial grain refinement.Grain-size strengthening is the primary factor contributed to the enhancement in the strength of the fabricated nanocomposite.Tensile strength and yield strength values were lower than those for the base metal matrix,although an upward trend in both values has been observed with an increase in tool rotation speed.An 19.72%increase in hardness along with superior corrosion resistance was achieved compared to the base alloy at a tool rotational speed of 1500 rpm.The corrosion currents(Jcorr)of all samples dropped with increase in the rotational speed,in contrast to the corrosion potentials(Ecorr),which increased.The values of Jcorr of AZ31/Al_(2)O_(3)were 42.3%,56.8%,and 65.5%lower than those of AZ31 alloy at the chosen rotating speeds of 900,1200,and 1500 rpm,respectively.The corrosion behavior of friction stir processed nanocomposites have been addressed in this manuscript which has not been given sufficient attention in the existing literature.Further,this work offers an effective choice for the quality assurance of the FSP process of AZ31/Al_(2)O_(3)nanocomposites.The obtained results are relevant to the development of lightweight automobile and aerospace structures and components.
文摘Phytochemicals have been of great interest as a source of natural antioxidants used for health promotion, food preservation, food flavoring and cosmetics. In this research, alcoholic extract from Caralluma arabica and different solvent fractions were evaluated for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties as well as their polyphenolic compositions. The total antioxidant property was estimated by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2, 2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS+) and β-carotene bleaching tests. Among the ethanol extract and three fractions, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest phenolic content (33.1 mg gallic acid/g) and the best antioxidant activity. The ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant capacities of the ethyl acetate fraction were 143.64, 381.3, 112.6 μmol/g in FRAP, ABTS and DPPH assays, respectively. This study verified that the ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction from Caralluma arabica have strong antioxidant activity that was correlated with their high level of phenolic content. Furthermore, the same extract showed appreciable anti-inflammatory via Lipoxygenase inhibitory activity (LOX), the IC50 values ranged from 11.2 - 30.77 μg/mL. Moreover, Ethyl acetate fraction showed the strongest cytotoxic effect (IC50 = 87.55 μg/mL) against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. These findings suggest that Caralluma arabica may be considered as an interesting source of antioxidants for nutraceutical industries.
文摘Purpose: To evaluate the effect of balanced hypocaloric diet therapy on the anthropometric and basic metabolic indicators in obese women with infertility. Methods: The follow up interventional clinical study included 23 infertile women in reproductive age with grade I gluteofemoral obesity. All patients have prescribed a balanced hypocaloric diet (1200 kcal/day), underwent exercise and behavioral therapy. Before and after 12-month treatment, an anthropometric study was conducted, determining the level of metabolic and hormonal indicators. Results: The total final number of study participants was 20 patients. A decrease in body weight was achieved in 87% of patients from 4 to 24 kg, on the average, by 10.58 ± 5.70 kg, there was also a decrease in BMI from 32.53 ± 1.40 to 28.55 ± 2.50 kg/m2 (p 0.001). The decrease in body weight was accompanied by a statistically significant decrease in leptin levels (p 0.001), E1 (p = 0.049), E2 (p = 0.032), fasting glucose (p 0.001), HOMA-IR (p = 0.002), cholesterol (p < 0.001), TG (p = 0.004), LDL-C (p = 0.001), atherogenic index of plasma (p <0.001) and an increase in progesterone levels (p = 0.030). Ovulatory menstrual cycles were resumed in all women (p = 0.007) and pregnancy occurred within a year in 1 patient. Conclusion: The implementation of a hypocaloric diet for 12 months in infertile women with first-degree obesity helps to normalize metabolic and hormonal indicators, reduces body weight and restores ovulatory menstrual cycle in all patients.
基金This research was funded under EPSRC DTA studentship which is awarded to A.Z.for his PhD.Research Council(DTG EP/N509668/1 Eng).
文摘Considering the ongoing climate transformations, the appropriate and reliable phenotyping information of plant leaves is quite significant for early detection of disease, yield improvement. In real-life digital agricultural environment, the real-time prediction and identification of living plants leaves has immensely grown in recent years. Hence, cost-effective and automated and timely detection of plans species is vital for sustainable agriculture. This paper presents a novel, non-invasive method aiming to establish a feasible, and viable technique for the precise identification and observation of altering behaviour of plants species at cellular level for four consecutive days by integrating machine learning (ML) and THz with a swissto12 materials characterization kit (MCK) in the frequency range of 0.75 to 1.1 THz. For this purpose, measurements observations data of seven various living plants leaves were determined and incorporate three different ML algorithms such as random forest (RF), support vector machine, (SVM), and K-nearest neighbour (KNN). The results demonstrated that RF exhibited higher accuracy of 98.87% followed by KNN and SVM with an accuracy of 94.64% and 89.67%, respectively, for precise detection of different leaves by observing their morphological features. In addition, RF outperformed other classifiers for determination of water-stressed leaves and having an accuracy of 99.42%. It is envisioned that proposed study can be proven beneficial and vital in digital agriculture technology for the timely detection of plants species to significantly help in mitigate yield and economic losses and improve crops quality.
基金supported by the project“Synthetic Biology:From omics technologies to genomic engineering(OMIC-ENGINE)”(MIS:5002636)which is implemented under the Action“Reinforcement of the Research and Innovation Infrastructure”funded by the Operational Program"Competitiveness,Entrepreneurship and Innovation"(NSRF 2014-2020)co-financed by Greece and the European Union(European Regional Development Fund).
文摘Infectious agents,both standard and emerging or engineered,might initiate outbreaks with global impact and/or existential-level threat potential.Such agents might infect human,livestock,exploitable plant cultures or the environment at large.Instead of responding by sampling teams which may also carry out prolonged surveillance,a more effective concept is to pre-process the samples,possibly to nucleic acid extract so as to transport them without biological risks by standard channels,or to process them up to a point and return the results,leaving the samples which only need specialized tests and dedicated equipment.In this context a portable device,allowing multiple routine and crisis-management applications due to its inherent flexibility,is scrutinized against alternatives and possible needs so as to develop a novel standard of surveillance and intervention,meant to facilitate containment by providing faster much more reliable laboratory results at a fraction of older generation mobile nucleic acids analyzers.Additional steps,such as agarose in pills and buffers pre-packaged in expendable syringes with pistons locked by improvised safety features may improve the Complexity Level of the whole system so as to make it appealing to intervention/crisis management personnel,while the instrument proper may double as backup for respective benchtop devices.
文摘We present a neuro-heuristic computing platform for finding the solution for initial value problems （IVPs） of non- linear pantograph systems based on functional differential equations （P-FDEs） of different orders. In this scheme, the strengths of feed-forward artificial neural networks （ANNs）, the evolutionary computing technique mainly based on genetic algorithms （GAs）, and the interior-point technique （IPT） are exploited. Two types of mathematical models of the systems are constructed with the help of ANNs by defining an unsupervised error with and without exactly satisfying the initial conditions. The design parameters of ANN models are optimized with a hybrid approach GA-IPT, where GA is used as a tool for effective global search, and IPT is incorporated for rapid local convergence. The proposed scheme is tested on three different types oflVPs of P-FDE with orders 1-3 The correctness of the scheme is established by comparison with the existing exact solutions. The accuracy and convergence ofthc proposed scheme are further validated through a large number of numerical experiments by taking different numbers of neurons in ANN models.
文摘Soy yogurt has gained significant popularity due to its nutritional health benefits. The objectives of this study were to develop flavored yogurt from soybean milk with reduced soy aftertaste by the addition of 30% （wt/wt） strawberry or orange jam in conjunction with a lactic acid fermentation. Soy milk-based yogurt products were assessed for microbial quality and for acceptability by a panel of Jordanian and Malaysian consumers. Sixty-one individuals, of whom 75.4% （n = 46） were Jordanian and 24.6% （n = 15） were Malaysian, evaluated the plain and flavored soy milk-based yogurt. The overall acceptability of orange and strawberry soy yogurt was rated significantly higher than plain soy yogurt. In general, the orange and strawberry soy yogurt received higher sensory ratings from Malaysian than Jordanian consumers. In addition, formulations with orange jam received higher scores than those flavored with strawberry. Shelf life tests showed that soy yogurt was acceptable for at least 8 d without perceptible spoilage. Therefore, the approach used yielded flavored products with better acceptability and improved sensory attributes, including decreased intensity of off flavor, with suitable shelf life at 4 ℃.
文摘The peroxisome proliferator activator receptor-<em>γ</em> (PPAR-<em>γ</em>) remained the most effective target for management of diabetes mellitus. The present work endeavors rational designing new PPAR-<em>γ</em> agonist bearing cyclotriphosphazene and thiazolidine-2,4-dione scaffolds. Thiazolidinedione (TZD) derivatives are the novel class of oral antidiabetic drugs which are selective agonist for the nuclear PPAR<em>γ</em> that enhances the transcription of several insulin responsive genes but TZDs are known to cause weight gain, hepatotoxicity and fluid retention. So, cyclotriphosphazene containing thiazolidine-2,4-dione was designed, synthesized as PPAR<em>γ</em> agonist. The <em>in-vitro</em> antidiabetic activity showed that compound <strong>8</strong> has similar activity and exhibited higher glucose uptake in comparison to pioglitazone as reference drugs. This research opened new avenues for smart designing of molecules with high efficiency towards the management of hyperglycemia.
文摘A new approach is demonstrated in which soft experimentation can be performed for MMP measurements, thus replacing the common practice of slim tube displacement laboratory experiments. Recovery potential from oil reservoirs by miscible flue gas injection was studied by slim tube and field-scale numerical simulation using two flue gases and seven crude oils sampled at different depths in three candidate reservoirs. The soft experimentations were conducted using Eclipse300<sup>TM</sup>, a three-phase compositional simulator. This study investigates minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), a significant miscible gas injection project screening tool. Successful design of the project is contingent to the accurate determination of the MMP. This study evaluates effects of important factors such as injection pressure, oil component composition, and injection gas composition on the MMP and recovery efficiency for slim tube and field-scale displacements. Two applicable MMP correlations were used for comparison and validation purposes.
文摘This study presents a modified low-cost approach,which integrates the spectral angle mapper and image difference algorithms in order to enhance classification maps for the purpose of monitoring and analysing land use/land cover change between 2000 and 2015 for the Emirate of Dubai.The approach was modified by collecting 320 training samples from QuickBird images with a spatial resolution of 0.6 m,as well as carrying out field observations,followed by the application of a 3×3 Soble filter,sieving classes,majority/minority analysis,and clump classes of the obtained classification maps.The accuracy assessment showed that the targeted 2000,2005,2010 and 2015 classification maps have 88.1252%,89.0699%,90.1225%and 96.0965%accuracy,respectively.The results showed that the built-up area increased by 233.721 km^(2)(5.81%)between 2000 and 2005 and continues to increase even up and till the present time.The assessment of changes in the periods 2000–2005 and 2010–2015 confirmed that net vegetation area losses were more pronounced from 2000 to 2005 than from 2010 to 2015,dropping from 47,618 to 40,820 km^(2),respectively.This study is aimed to assist urban planners and decision-makers,as well as research institutes.
